Sharing My Thoughts As I Learn To Follow Jesus

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Category Archives: Palm Sunday

(Note – this blog was first preached as a devotional at the Ridgway High Rise on April 9, 2017)

Yesterday was Palm Sunday.Almost everyone who reads this, whether Christian or not, is at least vaguely familiar with the story of Palm Sunday – of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey to the praises of his disciples and the crowd, who shouted “Hosanna” and waived palm branches in worship.

Sometimes, with a popular story like Palm Sunday, we miss an event immediately preceding or following it that can also be transformative.I think that’s the case with Palm Sunday.In Mark’s gospel, Mark tells us the story of a blind man named Bartimaeus who encountered Jesus while Jesus was traveling towards Jerusalem in preparation for the Triumphal Entry.Here’s the story, from Mark 10:

Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road.{Note:Jericho is about 21 miles from Jerusalem.} When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

“Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him.{Blind beggars were considered not worthy of attention.They were insignificant to most people – either an annoyance, or people to be avoided.The blind were excluded from worship in the temple.The name Bartimaeus means “son of Timaeus” or literally, son of impurity.We know from an encounter that Jesus and the disciples had in John 9 that the common assumption that most Jews made was the blind were being judged by God – that either the blind person or their parents were sinners.}

But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.”

So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!”Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.

“My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!”

And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.”Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead.Mark 10:46-11:1 (NLT)

What I love about this story is that Bartimaeus was blind, ignored by others, judged by others, an outcast, someone who was cast aside and forgotten.Most people either looked past him or, if they saw him, considered him to be insignificant and unworthy of their time and attention.

But not Jesus.

Jesus looked at Bartimaeus and saw a man created in God’s image – a man worth loving, a man worth noticing, a man worth investing His time in.

Have you ever felt like you were forgotten; overlooked; ignored; alone?

Here’s the good news:

Jesus has not forgotten you.

Jesus has not overlooked you.

Jesus has not ignored you.

You are not alone.Jesus is with you.He will never leave you and will never forsake you.

In fact, Jesus desires to meet you in the midst of your need, as He did for Bartimaeus, and bring healing to you – physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.